Buying Spyware Protection

Not all spyware protection comes with a cost. However, if you prefer to rely on fee-based products to prevent and clean up spyware, this article examines a few products which help with the questions, "How do I get rid of spyware?" and "How do I stop spyware?"

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First Things First

As I wrote in the previous article in this series, jumping on the Internet to download and install prevention/removal software is only one of the steps you should take. To review, building a foundation for ongoing protection requires:

effective cookie management;

removal of local administrator access while browsing the Web; and

a comprehensive anti-malware/anti-spyware strategy.

I don't subscribe to the belief that more is better. In other words, you don't need twenty protection programs on your computer to keep yourself safe. What you do need, however, is a strategy.

Since most AV solutions include anti-spyware capabilities, I don't recommend purchasing a separate anti-spyware product. Rather, I always tell people who ask to look for and install a product which takes care of all their desktop or laptop malware/spyware protection needs.

There are, however, cases where you might want a second opinion about whether you have spyware on your computer. After all, no AV software is 100 percent effective- no matter how much you may pay for it. When this happens, you may want to temporarily install and run a spyware-focused removal application. Be careful, however, about leaving every second-opinion solution on your computer when you're done with it. You may end up with a clean machine that runs like it is filled with performance-killing spyware and adware.

Web Filtering

Preventing access to questionable Web sites requires either something installed on your computer or a free Web filter service. I prefer the latter, and OpenDNS is the solution I use.

Paid Solutions

If you want to purchase a spyware-focused solution, there are only a few I recommend for consideration, including (not in any specific order):

Spyware Doctor. This product, like the others on this list, have been around for years. It has proved its effectiveness. PC Tools offers a free trial download which only identifies things your AV software may have missed. If you want to remove them, a Spyware Doctor annual subscription costs as little as $29.95. A low-end annual subscription covers up to three computers, so it is a great solution for small or home office users. Licenses increase incrementally, with a 50 user license listed as $649.

Spy Sweeper. Webroot's product, listed at $39.95 for up to three systems, is another very nice product. I've used it myself in the past. A free scan is available for download.

CounterSpy. CounterSpy is another great product with a different approach to trial use. Before paying $19.95 for an annual single-user license, you can download a fully functional product to try for 15 days. Further, you can purchase an unlimited-install home license for $39.95 per year.

STOPzilla. STOPzilla is another very effective anti-spyware solution with an annual subscription of $39.95 for a single license. A trial version is available, which identifies and quarantines spyware during the trial period. It will not actually remove bad stuff; it just prevents it from acting as designed. After the trial period, it continues to detect questionable software, but it will no longer do anything about it.